Cross Country
by cojiesmama
Summary: Originally intended to be a DannyLindsay moment but I thought the story would be good to pursue. Watch out for the chapter where Lindsay shows Danny some skin...COMPLETE!
1. Chapter 1

AUTHOR'S NOTE: This fic was originally intended as a Danny-Lindsay moment but I'll open the opportunity for a multi-chapter story. I think the storyline might have potential.

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Abby Gelman swirled the wine in her glass as she sat in a moderately crowded bar. She looks at her watch then looks at the front door.

She takes a sip from her wine as the front door opens. In walks Lindsay Monroe, who on a regular day would be wearing a sweater, a pair of pants, and lagging an aluminum kit, but today she was wearing an orange shirt and a pair of jeans. No aluminum kit.

When Lindsay saw Abby from across the room, her face lit up.

"Omigod!" Abby squealed --- as quietly as she could, though, but enough for Lindsay to hear.

Lindsay approached her a gave her a hug. "How have you been?" Lindsay asked.

"Really good" Abby said. She notices the shield clipped on Lindsay's belt. "Lyn Monroe, a cop. Who would've known?"

Lindsay sat across her and waved for the waiter. "Yeah, everybody thought I'd be marrying Johnny Orson and raising three girls in the suburbs".

"Johnny Orson's a minister" Abby said.

"And you think I'm full of surprises" Lindsay said. "What brings you in town?"

"Book tour" Abby said, producing a book she had been cradling on her lap. "Brought you an autographed copy".

"So it's true" Lindsay said, as she reached for the book and started to leaf through the pages. "You ARE Carol Delaney".

"I've been using that pen name for years" Abby said.

The waiter arrives and Lindsay asks for a rum coke. "I read one of your books. Suspense Thrillers, huh. I thought you're the romance novel type"

Abby just smiled. "I am, but it's just more fun if there's gunfire or an exploding car involved"

Lindsay reads the book title. "Cross Country".

"Montana's not that fun to write" Abby said. "I went all around the country looking for good places to write about. Brought me to Vegas, Florida, Texas, Washington D.C."

"And New York" Lindsay said.

"I was here a couple of times last year. But I didn't know you were reassigned. Your sister talked to my sister and that's how I found out" Abby said.

"And now here we are." Lindsay said. Her rum coke arrives, she takes a sip.

As Lindsay was about to put down her glass, she hears five loud "clunks" on the floor. In seconds, the bar was filled with gas --- sleeping gas.

Lindsay reached for Abby's hand as she tried her best to look for the door. Too late. Abby was already unconscious.

A few seconds later, Lindsay drops on the floor.


	2. Chapter 2

Lindsay opens her eyes --- she could only see blurry images, hear people talking, the smell of hospital bleach and alcohol.

"Thanks, Doc." she heard a man say.

The man sounded familiar. The accent was unmistakable.

"Are you alright?" the man said, touching her face.

"Danny…." Lindsay said. She could finally see him better --- the guy with the glasses and the biceps and the moustache and the goatee that she both loved and hated at the same time.

Danny didn't have with him flowers or get-well-soon balloons. On the hospital side table was his kit. And around his neck was a huge camera.

"You were unconscious when we found you. Somebody gassed that place pretty bad" Danny narrated. "Good thing you haven't had too much to drink. You survived the attack."

Lindsay quickly stands up, realizing something. "Abby!"

"She's missing" Danny said. "We only found her purse lying next to you on the floor".

"My God" Lindsay said. "She's a…. she's a friend of mine. A writer. Her family's going to have to…."

"Get some rest, will you?" Danny said as he gently pushed her shoulders back to the bed. Though hesitant at first, Lindsay eventually obliged.

As her body touches the bed, she quickly jerks back up. Like she had lied down on something hot.

"Something hurts" Lindsay said.

"There's something on your back" Danny shows Lindsay a picture. Of her, apparently. She recognized the orange shirt she wore earlier that evening. The picture appears to be taken from the back --- she must have been lying face down on the ground. Right smack on the center was a brand of some kind, seared into her skin. The brand looked like three concentric circles, with two lines crossing the middle, perpendicularly.

Danny clears his throat. "I'm here to process you. Stella was supposed to do it but Mac assigned her to find your friend and….I can ask a forensic nurse to..."

Lindsay looked at him. "Photos. Hair & Fiber."

Danny nodded. "Right."

Lindsay gave a weak smile. "It's alright."

Lindsay carefully sat up, Danny helped her. As Lindsay moved towards the end of the bed, Danny saw her bare, immaculately white back --- except for the charred skin at the center.

He took a deep breath and reached for his camera. He started taking pictures of her back. From his pocket, he took a swab.

"I'm just gonna…." Danny said as he leaned in closer to Linday's back, inspecting the brand. "If it's ok…"

Lindsay chuckled a bit. "It's fine, Danny."

On the brand were blue traces of paint. As Danny was about to swab the brand, his other hand rested innocently on Lindsay's back. Lindsay jerked forward.

"I'm sorry, did I hurt you" Danny said, pulling back.

"No… um… just go ahead." Lindsay said.

The swab touched Lindsay's back again, Danny's other hand accidentally brushing her waist. Lindsay pulled back again. She shook her head.

"It'll just be a second, Lindsay, you'll have to endure the pain for a while" Danny said softly.

"It's not that" Lindsay said, burying her face in her hands.

Danny tried again to swab the brand, his other hand touching her back. Lindsay jerked back up again. Danny looked at Lindsay. He thought he saw Lindsay smirk, but tied to hide it.

"Are you ticklish?" Danny asked, himself smiling.

Lindsay just smiled awkwardly, trying her best to avoid his gaze. "Just get it over with."


	3. Chapter 3

The glass-encased hallways of NYPD served as a maze to Mac and Stella as they ascended the stairs towards Mac's office. Stella was briefing Mac on the Abby Gelman disappearance as they walked.

"Abby Gelman, 33 years old, native of Bozeman, Montana but her latest address is right here in Manhattan. She's a writer, a novelist, assuming the pen name Carol Delaney"

Stella said as she showed Mac the book "Cross Country" which Abby earlier gave to Lindsay.

"How do you know?" Mac asked.

They enter Mac's office.

"I called Bantam books, they confirmed it. She sent in the drafts, they sent royalty checks to her" Stella continued. "I've looked through the first pages. Good stuff"

"Do we know of anyone who wants to harm her?" Mac asked "Did you check her records?"

"Model citizen, just a middle-class single girl." Stella said "Family's in Montana raising cows, not really the Paris Hilton type".

Danny knocks on the glass window. Mac waves him in.

"Got the photos of Lindsay's back" Danny said, waving a brown envelope.

"How is she?" Stella said.

"She's fine, but she's really worried about Abby" Danny answered.

Mac took the envelope from Danny and looked through the pictures. "What is this? A symbol of some kind? Concentric circles. Like on a dart board. Meaning she's a target?"

"Let me see" Stella said as she looked through Lindsay's photos. She realizes something "Wait a second"

Stella looks through her case folder. "I subpoenad Abby Gelman's medical records. She was hospitalized last week, complained of circular burn marks on her back."

Stella took out the picture. It was also of a woman's back. She showed both pictures --- Abby's and Lindsay's --- to Mac. It's the same brand.

Hawkes marches in, as if in a hurry. "You're not gonna believe this" Hawkes said.

Mac, Danny and Stella turn to him.

"Last week, Abby Gelman was taken to the Mount Sinai hospital…"Hawkes started.

"….With circular burn marks on her back, we already know that" Mac interrupted.

"But did you know" Hawkes smiled to himself "That Abby Gelman was found at the Holiday Inn, unconscious. The hotel room was registered to a Gwen DiCarlo."

"Who's Gwen DiCarlo?" Danny asked.

"She was giving a bridal shower to her and Abby's friend Debbie Jameson" Hawkes paused --- perhaps for effect --- "when the party was interrupted by a huge cloud of smoke. Every guest was knocked unconscious. When the smoke cleared, Gwen was gone"

Mac and Stella exchanged puzzled looks. Danny just crossed his arms.

"So somebody's taking one girl then brands the other so he can kidnap her later? It doesn't make any sense" Stella said.

Danny's eyes widen and he heads out the door, walking fast.

"This only means one thing." Hawkes said.

Stella and Mac look through the glass hallways as they see Danny taking his coat from the rack and run out.

"Lindsay's next" Mac said.


	4. Chapter 4

Danny's heart was beating out of his chest.

He was in his truck, behind a long line of yellow taxicabs. He honked his horn frantically as he saw the traffic light from the distance turn green.

"I must get to her…. now" was all Danny could think of.

When he finally arrived at the hospital, he parked his truck carelessly, and jumped out, almost forgetting to lock his vehicle.

He made his way through the stairs and the hospital halls towards Lindsay's room.

He came to her door and saw an empty bed --- no hospital tray by the bedside table, no purse hanging from the edge of an adjacent chair, no clothes neatly hanging by the end of the bed.

No Lindsay.


	5. Chapter 5

As Danny was about ready to scream at any nurse who passed by, he heard a muffled sound --- like water being flushed down the toilet.

He looked back into the room and felt like 20,000 Christmases in his heart, as he saw Lindsay coming out of the bathroom.

He almost jumped towards her to kiss her, hug her, pat her head ---- anything. Just to let her know how happy he was to see her. He settled for a light touch on her elbow.

"You scared me!" Danny said, sweat pouring down his forehead. He almost sounded high-pitched.

Lindsay only laughed at him. "I was just in the bathroom, getting ready to leave. Did you run here?" Lindsay said as he wiped the sweat from his brow.

Like dousing a hot steel pan with water, Danny felt his insides warm with Lindsay's touch. Boy, was he happy to see her.

Danny closed his eyes. "We think you're in danger, Lindsay" Danny said.

"What's going on?" Lindsay asked.

"Your friend, Abby Gelman? She also had a brand on her back. How she got it, same M.O. as yours --- gas cloud knocks you unconscious, kidnapper leaves the mark, takes your friend." Danny said.

"Who was taken when she got branded?" Lindsay said.

"Gwen DiCarlo." Danny said.

"Omigod" Lindsay said. She sat down. "She's um….a friend of ours." Lindsay shook her head. "What the hell is happening?"

"How did you know them?" Danny asked.

"We all went to highschool together, in Montana" Lindsay said. "We were the main staff of the school paper. Abby was Editor-in-Chief, Gwen handled graphics, I was the news editor."

"We're afraid that you might be next" Danny said. "So I think it's best that you stay in your home for a while. I'll have a uniform sent there to guard your door."

Danny's phone rings. "Messer?"

Danny listens intently to the person on the other line. Danny just nodded his head, saying "uh-uh" or "okay" once in a while. He looked at Lindsay, hesitant perhaps to let her hear his conversation, which made Lindsay even more nervous.

Danny's phone call ended and he tucked his phone in his pocket.

"I'll be escorting you to your apartment" Danny said in a serious voice.

"Danny, what happened? Who called you?" Lindsay said, tugging his shirt gently.

Danny looked at her and sighed. "It was Mac. He's more convinced now that you need police protection 24/7." Danny took her bag with his left hand and her hand with his right as they walked out the door.

Lindsay stopped him. She had a determined look on her face. She didn't say anything. She was about to cry but she didn't know why she should.

Danny looked at the floor, avoiding the pain and fear in her eyes.

"A woman's body was found floating in the Hudson five minutes ago" Danny started. "It's Gwen DiCarlo."


	6. Chapter 6

_Such a waste, _thought Mac Taylor. This is the first thing that comes to his mind whenever he sees a youthful corpse such as Gwen DiCarlo's bare naked body lying on the slab of Sid Hammerback.

"No water in her lungs" Sid started "She didn't drown".

"Cause of death?" Mac asked.

"Ventricular Fibrillation. Tox screen came back. Elevated levels of morphine in her system. Her heart just gave out" Sid said.

"So the killer dumped the body in the river to hide it" Mac concluded.

"She was heavily sedated" Sid continued "and I suspect it was over a long period of time. Check out her arms. It's riddled with puncture wounds."

"Maybe the killer didn't mean to kill her --- overmedicated" Mac said.

"Bruising on her wrists and feet mean she was tied up" Sid said, showing Mac the red scratches on her wrists and feet. "You want to hear something funny, though?"

"What?" Mac asked.

"Stomach contents --- clam chowder, bread and a Coke " Sid said.

"Are you serious?" said Mac, his eyebrows brought to the center of his forehead.

"Yeah" Sid laughed. "Throw in a salad and I'd let this guy kidnap me" Sid turned the corpse and showed Mac the victim's back. "Also, what appears to be a tattoo or a…."

"Brand" Mac said. "On her back. Three concentric circles"

"Yeah, how'd you know?" Sid asked.

"Same as Lindsay's" Mac said.

Sid nodded his head knowingly --- it's never funny to joke when it involves one of your own.

"Is she ok?" Sid asked.

Mac smiled. "She's alright. She's coming down later with Gwen's brother Jason to claim the body".


	7. Chapter 7

Lindsay stood in front of the morgue's viewing room beside Gwen DiCarlo's brother, Jason. Lindsay has always been around death, but she could never get used to death coming so close to her own life.

She could only imagine the pain this is causing Jason.

"What happened to my sister, Lyn?" Jason asked.

Lindsay didn't make eye contact with him, she knew she would cry. "We're still trying to figure out" Lindsay said.

"Gwen's not even supposed to be in New York. She has a wedding this weekend" Jason said.

"Gwen's a wedding planner?" Lindsay said.

"Yeah" Jason continued "But she said she had to come to New York to meet with an urgent client who is getting married this fall. You'll never believe who it is."

Just then, Danny comes up to them and stands behind Lindsay.

"Fiona Albright" Jason said.

Lindsay looked surprised. "You're kidding" she said.

Jason just shook his head. "I'm serious"

"Who's Fiona Albright?" Danny asked,

Lindsay turned around. "Hey, didn't see you there" she said, almost nervously.

Danny extended his hand towards a handshake "Danny Messer, NYPD" he said. Jason shook his hand. "I'm sorry for your sister".

"You said Gwen was meeting Fiona Albright" Lindsay turned back to Jason.

"Yes, but I'm not even sure if they actually met" Jason said. "But they were supposed to have met two weeks ago."

"That's around the time Gwen disappeared" Lindsay said.

Danny tapped Lindsay's shoulder. "Who's Fiona Albright?" Danny asked.

Lindsay's eyes darted all around the room, trying to avoid looking at Danny. "She's um…. She was in our class."

"Ugly girl." Jason continued. "She had buck teeth, too tall and too thin, not very bright. Not attractive at all, actually"

Jason actually laughed. Danny couldn't believe it. His sister's corpse was lying on a slab and he had the gall to laugh at an ugly person's face.

Danny turned to Lindsay. "We could just go talk to her" Danny said. "She may be the last person to have seen Gwen alive"

Lindsay was still avoiding his eyes. "You know what, I think it's best that I'm hands off on this one"

Danny just nodded his head. He looked on as Lindsay escorted Jason out of the morgue.

For the first time in his life, Danny felt doubtful about Lindsay. And he didn't like what he was feeling.


	8. Chapter 8

When Stella Bonasera opened the door to Fiona Albright's apartment, she did not know what to feel.

The place was almost empty. There were no pictures on the table. No mirrors on the wall. No colorful wallpaper.

_She led a sad life, _Stella thought. She almost felt sorry for her.

When Stella entered her bedroom, it was as barren as the living room except for a bookshelf stood beside her bed.

On the top shelf, neatly arranged, were a small collection of books by Carol Delaney --- Abby Gelman.

On the middle shelf were pictures of Abby Gelman, all framed, showing Abby in different ages --- when she was a freshman in high school, when she went to the prom, when she graduated, when she won an award for young journalists.

And on the bottom shelf…..

….. Bottles of methyl chloroform --- chemicals used to make sleeping gas.

….. a small electric stove, with three concentric circles

….. and a copy of Cross Country.


	9. Chapter 9

"Fiona Albright" Stella started.

She stood up from her seat as Mac and Danny watched the slideshow she as prepared for them.

"Works at a chemical supplies store. Moved here from Montana about a month ago. She went to the same high school as Gwen DiCarlo, Abby Gelman and Lindsay." Stella looked at Danny.

"But that's not why we're here" Mac said.

"She's been missing around the time Gwen DiCarlo disappeared. Her landlord was more than willing to bust open her lock for me because she hasn't paid the rent. Her apartment was barren, no photos, no knick knacks. But her bedroom shelf proved interesting" Stella continued.

She brought out the crime scene photos from Fiona's apartment.

"Top shelf. Books by Carol Delaney, which is Abby Gelman's pen name, according to Lindsay" Stella paused.

"Middle shelf, Abby's photos. Lots of it. And on the last shelf….."

Stella took out the last crime scene photo. "Methyl Chloroform. A small burner with three concentric circles. And a copy of Cross Country." she paused. "The burner had traces of blue paint."

"I found traces of blue paint on Lindsay's brand" Danny said. "Sent it to trace."

"We'll wait on Adam for the results then" Stella said.

"Methyl Chloroform is used to make sleeping gas. The small burner is used for the brand. But what's Cross Country?" Mac asked.

"Abby's new book" Lindsay said from behind them.

Danny approached her. "You should have told me you're coming, I could've fetched you".

"I'm fine" Lindsay smiled. "Cross Country is Abby's new book. She came to New York for the book launch".

"So Fiona Albright is Abby's fan. But what does Cross Country have to do with this?" Mac asked.

"A lot." Stella answered "I read through some of the pages, it's pretty good work. Suspense-thriller. It's about this cop who's chasing a serial killer who is going around the country killing these young girls who were part of a sorority. All of the girls had a tattoo of the sorority's emblem: three concentric circles with a cross in the middle" Stella said.

"Just like Gwen's and Abby's" Danny said.

"And mine" Lindsay continued.

"So Fiona is taking hints from her favorite author's book. Did the book say how the serial killer committed the murders?" Mac asked.

"Shot in the head and the nape" Stella continued.

"That doesn't make any sense. Gwen died of a morphine overdose" Danny said.

"Maybe Fiona didn't have enough time to do the deed. Gwen's body gave out." Stella said.

"But why keep Gwen for long periods of time? Why not just do her in?" Mac said.

"Maybe she waited until she got Abby first" Lindsay said. "So she can show her."

"Life imitating art" Stella said.

Just then a small young lady knocked on the door. "Package for Lindsay" the young woman said.

Lindsay took the package from her and read the label. "Lindsay Monroe, News Editor".

Lindsay gave Danny a worried look. "It's from Fiona".

Mac and Stella looked at them, confused. "How'd you know?" Mac asked.

"Gwen, Abby and Lindsay were the editorial staff of their school paper" Danny answered. "Lindsay was the News Editor."

"Let's take a look at it, then" Stella answered.


	10. Chapter 10

The videotape started off as grainy, the movements shifty, until it seemed to stop at one spot.

Sitting in the middle of the room is a woman blindfolded, her arms tied behind her back and her feet tied to the chair's legs.

It was Abby Gelman.

Mac, Danny, Lindsay and Stella could hear her soft sobs. Lindsay took a step back, almost stepping on Danny. Danny touched her shoulder.

Another figure seemed to appear from behind the camera then stood in front of Abby. She had her back to the camera, blocking their view of Abby.

On her right hand was a pistol.

Just then, they saw the woman bring up the pistol to what seemed like Abby's forehead.

A gunshot is heard. Lindsay and Stella are taken aback. Lindsay covered her mouth, stifling her scream.

The gunwoman went around to Abby's back. They could finally see Abby again, but on her forehead was a huge hole, blood dripping generously to her face. They could also see that the gunwoman was wearing a plain white mask.

The gunwoman trained her pistol to Abby's nape and fired again. Abby's body jerked forward.

Lindsay turned away and buried her face in Danny's chest. Danny wrapped her in his arms, the expression of horror and disgust on his face.

"Cross Country" Mac whispered.


	11. Chapter 11

Lindsay felt her whole body trembling as if she was convulsing, as Danny helped her lie down on the break room couch.

She wanted to cry but she couldn't cry. She wanted to mourn the deaths of her friends, Abby Gelman and Gwen DiCarlo, but she was too afraid for her own life.

Danny sat beside her, helpless. The CSI in him had too many questions to ask Lindsay --- now a victim more than anything else --- to help him understand the killer and eventually, find her. But the friend in him (she was his friend, at the very least) understood that she needed to take a few moments to breathe. This was too much for her to take.

"Why is she doing this?" Danny asked.

Lindsay looked up at him, not knowing what to say.

"That was so long ago, it couldn't be because of that" Lindsay whispered to herself.

Lindsay sat up. Danny had his arm around her. "I need to know." Danny said "Whatever it is. What we don't have right now is a clear understanding of our killer. What we don't have right now is motive"

Lindsay looked at Danny like a teenage girl explaining to her parent. "I was seventeen. I was stupid. We all were. I know I can't apologize for it now, but…."

Danny touched her hand. "Tell me."

"Abby Gelman" Lindsay started "used to write these short stories for the paper, serials we called it. She became quite popular for it. The kids were hooked. We teased her because she had this little fan base already. Fiona was one of those fans."

She paused. Danny saw that she was tearing up.

"Fiona followed Abby everywhere, followed US everywhere. When Abby, Gwen and I had lunch, Fiona would lurk around, even sit with us. She was so annoying."

Lindsay looked to Danny for a reaction. He didn't say anything.

"One day, we posted on the bulletin board that we were looking for new writers. We knew that Fiona was going to take a crack at it. So Gwen and I, we thought of playing a trick on her."

Lindsay's voice cracked. "I gave Fiona a letter, I told her to give it to Gwen, told her it was top secret and that under no circumstances was she to read it. I told her that the letter was about the writing auditions."

"What's in the letter?" Danny asked.

Lindsay paused, perhaps thinking whether she should tell Danny what she was about to say or not.

"In the letter, Gwen wrote that the writer who will do a news item on the Brier Woods would get her vote. I wrote back, and told Gwen that I completely agreed with her" Lindsay said.

"What's the deal with the Brier Woods?" Danny said.

Lindsay started to sob. "This small scary forest just a few miles from school. They say the place was haunted. But what's more scary is that it's a place where bears hibernate for the winter".

"The trick worked" Danny said, realizing what Lindsay may have done.

"We didn't think she'd actually do it!" Lindsay said, almost hysterical. "She disappeared for a week, and when she came back, she was badly injured. Her wounds were healed but she was badly deformed."

Lindsay buried her face in her hands. Danny slowly slipped his hand away from her shoulder. Lindsay felt it.

"So this is revenge." Danny said.

"Danny" Lindsay was defensive "I would say I'm sorry if it still matters to her, but right now we have to get her for what she did to Gwen and Abby"

"That's secondary for now. "Danny said. "What's important is that she doesn't get to you".

Just then, Lindsay's phone rings.

Danny and Lindsay looked at each other, unsure whether she should answer it or not.

Danny acted first. He picked up the receiver. "Hello?"

Danny listened intently. "Who's this please?... Rosie Cheung?"

Lindsay heaved a sigh of relief. She nodded her head and reached for the receiver.

"Hold on a second" Danny told the caller.

"Hey Rosie" Lindsay talked on the phone "I'd love to but I can't right now I have company. Rain check?... Tomorrow's fine I guess… alright…. Bye"

As Lindsay returned the receiver, Danny stared at her, horrified.

"Did you just set a date in the middle of all this?" Danny asked.

"It's just Rosie" Lindsay said "She's my next door neighbor and it's just coffee right across the street".

"Who is this Rosie Chung anyway?" Danny said, agitated.

Lindsay found it amusing that Danny was all protective of her. "Rosie Cheung. C-H-E-U-N-G. My 20-year-old next door neighbor, an English Lit student from Chelsea University, who has never left New York City since she was born and who has never been to Montana to know Fiona Albright".

Danny's phone beeps. He got a page.

"Blue paint on your brand has results from trace" Danny read the message on his cell. "I need to go back to the lab" Danny stood up and headed for the door. He looked back at Lindsay.

"I'm sending a uniform here. Don't leave the apartment without an escort" Danny said, authoritatively.

"Yes officer" Lindsay said, smiling.

Danny smiled himself. He walked back to where Lindsay was sitting, bent down, and kissed the top of her head.

Danny goes out the door.

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As Danny was about to turn the ignition switch in his truck, he looked at Lindsay's bedroom window and saw that she had turned the lights off. Danny reached for his cellphone.

"Hawkes" Danny said "I need a favor. Pull up everything you can on a Rosie Cheung. C-H-E-U-N-G. Yeah. I'll be back in the lab in a few minutes. Thanks"


	12. Chapter 12

"What you got for me, Adam?" Danny said as he marched into Adam Ross' lab.

"Blue paint on the burner you found in Fiona Albright's apartment matches the blue paint on Lindsay's brand." Adam said, handing the test results to Danny.

"Good, do you know what it is? Where it came from?" Danny asked.

"From a Toyota Corolla 1967 model, really old car. It's weird finding this in Manhattan. They usually just blow this up in movies" Adam said.

Adam reached for another file folder. "Also, prints on the videotape matched the prints on Fiona Albright's employee records. Looks like you got a slam dunk"

"Everything points to Fiona Albright. But where the hell is she?" Danny said.

"We don't know where she is but we might know where she's going to strike" Stella poked her head in, waving the book Cross Country at them.

"Back to the book" Danny said.

"Not only is Fiona Albright imitating the killer's MO in Abby's book, the places might be significant too." Stella said "The first murder in the book was done in San Francisco, California. The Holiday Inn hotel's suites are named after popular beach fronts --- Malibu, Miami…. The suite where Gwen DiCarlo was taken? The San Francisco suite."

Adam and Danny nodded, impressed at Stella's conclusions.

"The second victim in the book" Stella continued "was killed in Little Rock, Arkansas. The bar where Abby Gelman was taken is called the Little Rock bar."

Just then, Hawkes comes in, looking both concerned and confused. "Danny, you better take a look at this."

"Wait, I haven't gotten to the good stuff yet" Stella said.

"Rosie Cheung" Hawkes said. "moved to Lindsay's building a month ago. She works two jobs. She's a chambermaid for the Holiday Inn by daytime and a DJ at the Little Rock bar by night time."

Danny's eyes widened. He frantically fumbled for his cellphone.

"Come on…. Come on pick up!" Danny said. "Lindsay's land line is just ringing."

Danny dialed another number. "Hello, Officer Carreon? Yeah… you're assigned to watch Lindsay Monroe, correct?... She left? What do you mean she left? Who did she leave with?"

Danny was almost screaming. Adam, Stella and Hawkes looked on. "Where did they go?"

Danny closed his phone. "Queen's Café" he said.

"That's were the third victim was killed." Stella said. "Queens, New York"


	13. Chapter 13

Danny's Ford F150 careened through the streets of Manhattan followed by two police cars as they headed towards Queen's Café.

Danny's truck screeched to a halt as he and Stella jump out of the vehicle. They could see smoke from inside the café.

Both Stella and Danny drew their guns and rushed inside. The baristas and the customers were all unconscious. Danny looked at all of the people in the café. Lindsay wasn't among them.

Danny could see a faint light from the end of the room. A back door.

Danny tried so hard not to breathe in the noxious fumes as he rushed towards the back door. Stella had gone back outside and is on her phone, calling for back up.

Behind the thick black smoke, Danny could see a blue box-like figure, and he could hear a car engine being started.

He makes it to the back door and sees a Toyota Corolla 1967 model rushing out of the alley. He fires three shots, hitting both of the back tires. The car swirled around and hit the wall.

With his gun still trained at the car, Danny runs towards it and points the gun at the driver --- a young Asian woman. "Get out of the car!" Danny screamed.

The young woman slowly opened her door and got out. Danny swirled her around and cuffed her. Two police officers run towards them to take the young woman away.

Danny opened the back seat. Lindsay lied on her back, unconscious. He felt for a pulse, then listened to her breathing.

She was alive.


	14. Chapter 14

Mac and Stella have been doing their jobs long enough to know that even the innocent looking Asian girl that sat across them in the interrogation room can be a cold-blooded killer. It didn't matter that she seemed to be trembling in fear. Rosie Cheung twisted the handkerchief in her hand as he looked at Mac and Stella.

Behind the one-way mirror stood Danny and Lindsay. Lindsay seemed to be weak-kneed, as she leaned towards Danny.

"Rosie Cheung" Mac started. "Came to New York three weeks ago on a student visa. You know with a kidnapping rap we could snatch that visa from you and send you to a plane back to Singapore".

"Kidnapping? I don't understand" Rosie said.

"Lindsay Monroe is a police officer. Any harm you do to her, you answer to the state." Stella said, obviously agitated.

"Lindsay is my friend, we were just getting coffee when somebody gassed the café" Rosie said.

"She was unconscious at the back seat of your car, care to explain that?" Mac asked.

"I was going to take her to the hospital" Rosie answered.

"And how come you weren't affected by the gas?" Stella asked.

"I covered my nose… What exactly am I being accused here?" Rosie asked.

"You work both at the Holiday Inn and the Little Rock Bar where Gwen DiCarlo and Abby Gelman were taken. And now you're also on the scene where Lindsay Monroe was about to be abducted" Stella said.

"Abducted? What are you talking about? I need to get by so I have two jobs. Is that a crime?" Rosie said.

Mac showed Rosie a picture of the small burner with the three circles and the blue paint. "That burner was used to singe the skin of Gwen DiCarlo, Abby Gelman and Detective Monroe. The paint on the burner matches the paint on your car"

"I park in a public place, it could have gotten there at any time" Rosie answered.

"Looks like you got all the right answers" Mac said.

"I don't know what you're talking about" Rosie starts to cry "Please, you have to believe me".

From behind the one-way mirror, Lindsay shakes her head.

"It's all just coincidence, Danny. She's as much a stranger to New York as I am. Look at her, she's frightened" Lindsay said, as Rosie starts to break down. Mac and Stella turns to leave the room.

"It's all too much of a coincidence" Danny said. "She moved in your building around the time Gwen DiCarlo disappeared. She has to have a connection to Fiona Albright, we just haven't seen it yet"

Danny's cellphone rings. "Messer" he answers. "She's here" Danny looks at Lindsay. "Alright, I'll tell her".

Danny returns his phone in his back pocket. "St. Matthew's Funeral Homes in Brooklyn. A woman turned in a Jane Doe this morning. Matches the description of Abby Gelman."

Danny took a deep breath and looked at Lindsay. "They're asking you to come down and identify the body".


	15. Chapter 15

Lindsay's heart was beating out of her chest. She did not know what to feel. If the corpse before her is indeed Abby, should she feel relieved? That at least Abby is no longer missing and her family could have closure? And if the corpse before her wasn't Abby, should she feel a different kind of relief? That perhaps Abby was still alive somewhere and the videotape was a hoax?

The sheet that covered the corpse was bloodied towards the top --- near the area where the corpse's forehead would be. Lindsay recalled the videotape and the hole on Abby's forehead. Lindsay started to cry.

"Whenever you're ready" the funeral director told her as he reached for the sheet that covered the corpse.

Lindsay looked at Danny. From the door of the morgue, Danny walked towards her and held her hand. Lindsay turned to the funeral director and nodded "Yes".

The funeral director uncovered the sheet.

Lindsay stood there in shock. She turned to Danny.

"It's not her" Lindsay said.

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The corpse looked like it was an obvious homicide. On the woman's forehead was also a bullet hole. But when Danny turned over the corpse, it had no entry wound at the nape.

"Do you remember the woman who brought her in?" Danny asked the funeral director.

As Danny continued to interrogate the funeral director, Lindsay started to wander around the funeral home. She felt so confused and helpless --- another run around, another dead end.

As she made her way towards the car, she could hear the voices of Danny and the funeral director growing fainter and fainter. Near the exit door is a room where a wake is in progress.

Lindsay poked her head in. There was no one in the room. Just the corpse lying in a white coffin at the end of the room.

Lindsay looked around. It seemed odd that someone had gone through the trouble of paying for the funeral --- there were flowers and candles and the coffin looked rather expensive --- but no one bothered to stand guard of the poor dead guy.

Lindsay approached the coffin. The dead guy turned out to be a dead girl.

As she got nearer the coffin, she got even more confused. She looked into the face of the woman in the coffin. She looked at her as close as possible

"Danny" Lindsay said in a whisper. "Danny!" Lindsay started to scream. "Danny!" Lindsay shouted.

Danny ran inside the room. Lindsay was slowly backing away from the coffin.

"What's wrong? Are you alright?" Danny said as he held Lindsay in his arms.

"That woman…." Lindsay said.

Danny looked at the coffin. "What is it, Lindsay?" he said.

Lindsay looked at Danny "It's her." Lindsay said, her hands trembling. "It's Fiona."


	16. Chapter 16

Hawkes looked at the deformed face of Fiona Albright in his autopsy photos. Across her right cheek were three deep lines --- marks of a bear attack. Her ears were uneven, like her left ear had been torn off and sewed back on.

There are rare times when a CSI like Hawkes feels sorry for a sociopath like Fiona.

Danny walked in. "What's the COD on Fiona?" he asked.

"She had breast cancer" Hawkes answered. "Stage 4. She would have been very weak from the chemo"

"Can we place time of death?" Danny asked.

"Funeral director says she's been alone in that wake for seven days" Hawkes answered.

"So she couldn't have murdered Abby Gelman. That coffin looks mighty pricy" Danny said as he looked at the wooden white coffin Lindsay had found Fiona in. "Can we check who paid for her funeral?"

"Funeral director says he'll check his records then he'll get back to us" Hawkes answered.

On the VCR, Danny pops in the Abby Gelman video again.

"Danny, we've seen that video a thousand times. There is no identifiable angle or sound that will help us find out where Abby Gelman was killed" Hawkes said.

"Fiona turning up dead confuses me" Danny said. "So I had to take another look at this video".

It's funny how something as shocking and as gory as watching someone get shot in the head could make the mind ignore important details. Danny realizes this now.

"Look at the gun woman" Danny said "How tall did the ME say Fiona was?"

Hawkes looked at a file folder "5'11 to 6'0. Big girl" he answered.

"Yeah, I remember Jason DiCarlo saying that too --- Big, thin girl. But look at this woman" Danny pointed to the video "Does she seem tall to you?"

Hawkes looked at the gun woman on the video. "Abby Gelman's about 5'8'. Sitting down, she'd be about 4'5"."

"If the gun woman was Fiona's height, the top of Abby's head would be about her chest level." Danny said.

"The top of Abby's head is almost above her chin" Hawkes said. "This woman's about 5'3" or 5'5" tops".

"Same height as Rosie Cheung" Danny concluded.

"Wait a sec" Hawkes said as he rewinds the tape to the scene where Abby is shot in the forehead. As the gun woman walks behind Abby, Hawkes pauses the tape to reveal the blank back wall.

"How far from the chair do you think that wall is?" Hawkes asked.

"Two feet, three feet max" Danny said.

"If Abby was shot in the head, how come there's no blood spatter?" Hawkes said.

Hawkes' phone rings.

"Yeah?" Hawkes answered his phone "Alright. Great." Hawkes said as he scribbled on a piece of paper "Thanks"

Hawkes turned back to Danny "Fiona's funeral was paid for by a Hongkong-Shanghai Bank Card --- Visa. Owner is a Yi Yin Zhou"

Danny paused to think. He moved towards one of the computers and started to type. "Let's find out Rosie Cheung's Chinese name".

Rosie Cheung's records pop up on the computer. Her Chinese name is not registered.

"Try her immigration records" Hawkes said.

Danny typed in another command and Rosie's immigration records show up on the screen.

"Check it out" Danny said "Rosie Cheung came to the US on a student visa. Her scholarship was sponsored by Bantam Books. Abby Gelman's publisher"

"And her Chinese name" Hawkes pointed at the computer "is Yi Yin Zhou".

Danny smiled to himself. "Wow. I think I'm starting to get this"


	17. Chapter 17

Rosie Cheung had her hands on her lap, her feet flat on the floor, her eyes staring at a spot on the table. From the one-way mirror, Danny stared at her gentle demeanor and laughed to himself at the sheer genius of this young woman.

Danny opened the door to the interrogation room where Rosie sat. He sits across her.

"Alright, here's what I know" Danny started.

Rosie just looked at him.

"You were a chambermaid at the Holiday Inn where Gwen DiCarlo was taken, a waitress at the Little Rock bar where Abby was taken, and you brought Detective Monroe to the Queen's Café where she would have been taken if we hadn't gotten there in time" Danny narrated.

"Like I told you" Rosie said, her voice calm "I work those two jobs, it's not a secret. And Lindsay's my friend."

Danny nodded. He produced a file folder and showed her a still photo of the Abby Gelman video. "The gunwoman in that picture is 5'3". Same as you" Danny said.

"Lots of other women are as small as I am" Rosie answered.

Danny took out another photo --- the small electric burner with the blue paint. "The burner used to brand all three women had paint from your Toyota"

"Someone could have placed it there" Rosie said "Detective, I've answered all these accusations before"

Danny smiled and stared into Rosie's eyes. He knew the next thing he's going to say was going to break her prim and proper exterior.

"We found Fiona Albright" Danny said.

Rosie's eyes widened. Danny chuckled.

"Pure coincidence, really" Danny said "Somebody misidentified a Jane Doe to be Abby Gelman. In the funeral home, Lindsay saw an empty wake. Boom. It was Fiona"

Rosie's eyes darted from left to right, like in a panic.

Danny looked at her panicked face "See, now that's acting".

Danny pulled out another file. "Fiona Albright's funeral was paid for by an HSBC visa card of a Yi Yin Zhou. From your immigration records, we found out that Yi Yin Zhou is your Chinese name, back in Singapore where you applied for a scholarship at Chelsea University sponsored by Bantam Books."

Danny paused. Rosie's composure was breaking down right in front of him.

"But you didn't pay for a funeral." Danny continued "You paid for a cremation. Somebody went back and had it changed."

"How could she do this?" Rosie whispered to herself.

"We can connect Fiona to Gwen's death and we can connect you to Fiona, making you an accessory to kidnapping and murder." Danny said. "Unless…"

Rosie looked up. "No…. I can't" she said.

"Give her up" Danny said. "You give her up and we'll cut you a deal"


	18. Chapter 18

From the one-way mirror, Lindsay looked into the interrogation room both confused and angered. She couldn't believe what she was seeing.

Sitting across Mac was Abby Gelman.

"You got us worried" Mac started.

"I'm alive and well" Abby answered.

"Can't say the same for Gwen DiCarlo though" Mac said as he produced the photo of Gwen's dead body. "You never intended to kill her"

"Fiona" Abby said as she shook her head.

"Convenient to blame a dead woman" Mac said.

"Fiona's always had a simple mind" Abby said "I told her to give Gwen 5mg of morphine to calm her down. I didn't know that every time, she would give her 50mg instead of 5." Abby sighed. "Fiona was my biggest fan"

"You love being surrounded by your fans" Mac said. "That's why you had your publisher Bantam Books pay for Yi Yin Zhou's scholarship"

"Rosie gave me up, didn't she" Abby said "Did her a favor by plucking her out of Singapore and this is the thanks I get".

"Actually, you gave yourself up" Mac said. "You wouldn't have been caught if you didn't switch Rosie Cheung's order to cremate the body"

Abby just nodded.

From behind the one-way mirror, Danny joins Lindsay. He puts her hand around her shoulder. She was trembling.

"Why did she do this?" Lindsay said.

"Fiona was your friend" Mac seemed to answer Lindsay's question. He takes out another file folder. "When Fiona Albright was attacked by a bear, she was found half dead by Gavin Westmont. Your grandfather. Who you were visiting that weekend."

Abby started to cry. "I couldn't believe what happened to her. Had the bear hit her another three centimeters to the right, it would have blinded her" Abby looked up to Mac "I know Gwen and Lindsay had tricked her. But she was out there in the woods to impress me. She risked her life so I would notice her"

"Why did you do all this?" Mac said "Such an elaborate set up to get back at Gwen and Lindsay."

"I never meant to hurt Gwen. Or Lindsay" Abby said. "I just wanted to rattle them, give them a taste of what they did"

"And sell a few books in the process? You based the whole thing on Cross Country" Mac said.

"It was my ultimate gift to Fiona" Abby said. She looked at the one-way mirror. Like she was talking to Lindsay.

"Fiona's favorite book was 'And Then There Were None' by Agatha Christie" Abby said. "Ten people on an island, dying one after another. They didn't know the killer was among them"

"Lawrence Wargrave, the judge was the killer. He was dying of cancer. Just like Fiona" Mac said.

"Fiona is 32 years old" Abby said "She sells flasks and test tubes at a chemical supplies store. She spends her holidays alone in her home. During her chemo, she had a total of two visitors --- me and Rosie. She hasn't even had her first kiss"

Abby looked back at the one-way mirror. Behind it, Lindsay was already crying.

"I couldn't let her die like that. I couldn't let her die in a mediocre life" Abby said.

"So you turned her into a serial killer" Mac said.

"It was her dying wish" Abby said.


	19. Chapter 19

Fiona Albright's body was returned to the St. Matthew Funeral home. But her wake was no longer empty.

Sitting in the front row was Lindsay Monroe.

Danny slowly walked towards her and sat beside her.

"Do you think less of me?" Lindsay asked Danny.

"Whatever you did in your past isn't my business" Danny answered.

"In a twisted way, I respect what Abby did" Lindsay turned to Danny "She must have planned this ever since she found out about Fiona's cancer"

"Love can be expressed in the oddest of ways" Danny said.

Lindsay just looked at him, realizing that they were the only two people in a wake of a person Danny hardly knew.

"Thanks for being here" Lindsay said.

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AUTHOR'S NOTE: Phew! That was stressful! I hope you guys enjoyed Cross Country as I move on to my next stories. Hope you guys read Monstrous --- it's my first fan fic that I actually invested in (as in books and research).


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